Around the Block
Streetsblog Basics
Democrats Can’t Fight Trump and Make a Deal on Infrastructure at the Same Time
Chuck Schumer says he will "claw, scrap, and fight with every fiber of my being" to overturn Donald Trump's executive order preventing refugees and residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the country. If that's the case, Schumer should abandon his strategy of dealmaking with Trump on a big infrastructure bill.
January 30, 2017
Wisconsin Highway Costs Exceed State DOT Estimates By Nearly 100%
Highway costs have nearly doubled WisDOT's projections, and the overruns will be even bigger for projects that are still in the works. But Governor Scott Walker isn't interested in reining in highway spending.
January 27, 2017
Mayors Stand Up to Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
With an executive order yesterday, Donald Trump followed through on his threat to punish cities where local police do not report undocumented immigrants. Funds for transportation, housing, and other programs may (or may not) be at stake, but mayors of sanctuary cities around the country made it clear they are not backing down.
January 26, 2017
Keep an Eye on These 10 Cities Aiming for Big Increases in Cycling
The national advocacy organization People for Bikes has selected 10 American cities to participate in "The Big Jump" -- a program that seeks to double or triple cycling rates in specific neighborhoods. The goal is to demonstrate how smart policy can lead to big changes in a short amount of time.
January 25, 2017
How Could Transit Agencies Cope With a Sudden Loss of Federal Funds?
Under Trump and the Republican Congress, transit agencies can't be certain the funding they're expecting will materialize. Via TransitCenter, here's a look at how cities have coped with the sudden and dramatic loss of resources.
January 24, 2017
Kansas City Unveils a Streets Plan That Puts Walking First
The city's proposed $800 million infrastructure bond would pump money into sidewalks and street safety upgrades.
January 23, 2017
Can America’s Most Dangerous Place to Walk Change Its Streets?
The most dangerous metro area in America for walking is Fort Myers, Florida. The area has a committed group of reformers who've been making some strides, but a recent report shows more must be done.
January 20, 2017
Louisville’s New $1.1 Billion Bridge: Empty at Rush Hour
The suburban commuters the East End Bridge was built for don't seem to appreciate it that much. Traffic cameras show the costly new bridge nearly empty at rush hour.
January 19, 2017
The Case for a Tax on Parking Lots
Parking lots make cities less walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly. They crowd out space for housing. But with a parking lot tax, incentives change and using parking as a placeholder becomes a lot less attractive.
January 18, 2017
Seattle Just Canned Its Bike-Share System. What Went Wrong?
If Seattle is going to give bike-share another try, it will have to learn from this experience. The Pronto system started off small and never scaled up. And that mandatory helmet law really didn't help.
January 17, 2017